


The Ascent

by SirLadySketch



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Celebratory Sex, F/M, fun times in the rain, mildly nsfw, post "Descent"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 13:31:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5129462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirLadySketch/pseuds/SirLadySketch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Although they uncovered the mysteries of the earthquakes plaguing Orzammar, the team is left with more questions than answers, and the answers they do know have serious political implications. Still, they made it out alive-- that's worth celebrating, right? Post- Descent DLC, minor spoilers, slightly NSFW (not as graphic as my usual stuff)</p><p>Last minute submission for Greyallison's smutty fanfic contest. :D (You can read all the steamy entries here: http://greyallison.tumblr.com/post/132429687483/contest-entries)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ascent

“I don’t think you appreciate the full implications of everything that went on down there. Hell, I was there and I’m having a hard time comprehending it.”

Varric paced back and forth in front of the main camp fire, folding his arms against his chest and glaring at the ground. The Inquisitor knelt by the fire, rapidly breaking camp and trying to get as many things back into their packs as possible. She gave Varric a quick glance, and grunted as she tied the sack closed.

“I am very much aware of the potential effects of our revelations,” replied Remli, shoving the remaining potions into her pack. “We need some time to determine our next move, and it would be best to do that in the privacy of our own camp.” She tied the second pack, then moved to the bedroll. “Above ground. As quickly as possible.”

“People don't just vanish, and the Shaperate is going to have a lot of questions that we don’t have answers to. The answers we do have, they aren’t going to like.” He shook his head, frowning at the Inquisitor. “No matter what Valta said, Orzammar is not going to accept ‘we don’t know’ and let us go on our merry way.”

“All the more reason to leave now,” Remli replied, tying the bedroll to her pack and moving to pick up her weapons. “The sooner we’re under the stars, the better.”

Varric raised his hands, making a disgusted noise that would do Cassandra proud. “You think I want to stay down here? Were you listening when I mentioned how much I hate the Deep Roads?” He glanced over to the Legion units huddled by the fire. The men and women sat mourning their dead, sharing tales of Renn and Valta and the others who’d lost their lives during the expedition. Varric turned back to her and lowered his voice so that only the group could hear. 

“Look, you’ve managed to reach epic levels of weirdness that would give Hawke pause, and I saw some crazy shit in Kirkwall. If nothing else, we need something to tell the Carta, since they can and will follow us if they think we’re holding back information. The people down here have the right to know.”

“I agree with you. I think that everyone has a right to know what we learned,” she gave him a sharp look, cutting off his reply. Remli sighed, rubbing her temples to ward off an oncoming migraine. “It affects all of Thedas, and it’s something that we’re all going to have to address, both above and below the surface. However, I need to speak with the war table about this, and Corypheus is still our main objective. I cannot afford being delayed by answering questions that I don’t fully understand the answers to myself.”

“You can’t just ignore—“

“I’m not ignoring it, Varric. But I’ve got to get out of this cave before I jump out of my skin,” she interrupted. She stood, shouldering the pack. “We’ll give them a copy of our field report for now, and we’ll arrange something for a full debriefing later. Do you think they would be satisfied with that?”

Varric grumbled something under his breath, but Sera wandered over, clapping a hand over the dwarf’s mouth. She winked at the Inquisitor, sticking out her tongue. 

“Grumpy’s got a bit of a point, Inky. If we all leave now, it’s like we’re all runnin’ with somethin’ to hide, innit? They’d be on us like fleas on a cat. Don’t blame you, though. Can’t wait to get outta this place and away from all the weird. ” She grinned, shifting her gaze moved behind Remli to their final party member. 

“But everyone in Thedas knows the two of you is bumpin’ bits every chance you get, so no one’d blink if you were to disappear for the night. And why not? Earthquakes’ve stopped, and maybe you two wanna go up for peace and quiet. Celebrate still bein’ alive and all that shite.” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “Elvhen Glooory!”

“Sera!” Remli barked angrily, although she could feel the burn in her cheeks. Solas chuckled, and peeled himself from the wall to come stand beside the Inquisitor. She felt a cool hand rest on her shoulder, silently urging her to be still. 

“An excellent suggestion, Sera,” he murmured. His hand slid down to her waist, and he held her close, kissing the top of her head. He took in Sera and Varric with a slightly lifted brow. “You will join us in the morning?”

Sera reached down to pick up on the yet-unpacked bottles. “Nope, can’t promise mornin’. If we’re gonna stay down here, I’m gonna need some drinks, and drinks mean hangovers.” She pointed over to the Legion. “You ever try to match a dwarf bottle for bottle? I haven’t and if we’re gonna stay holed up in a shite hole we might as well do as the locals do, right?” 

Varric blew out a long breath, rubbing his hands over his face. “Augh, go on and get the Inquisitor outside, Chuckles. Buttercup and I will play the part down here, and I’ll write something to some of my contacts to set up a meeting later.” He gave Remli a stern look. “I hope you realize that my willingness to let you two go is a sign of how much I like you, Longshot.”

“I’m still not approving the inclusion of that smut scene you wrote,” she said, pulling Solas along with her towards the lift before the writer could argue. Varric chuckled. 

“You two lovebirds try to stay dry up there,” he called. “If you get the sniffles, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

\-----

It was foggy and damp when they finally broke the surface, the air not quite dry but not really committed enough to be classified as rain. Solas and Remli stood at the end of the ramp, taking in their rocky surroundings. The Storm Coast was remarkably storm-free, given its usual weather. Remli drew in a deep breath, relaxing as she released it.

“Feeling better?” asked Solas, arm resting gently around her. 

“A bit,” she admitted, stretching her hands above her head and relishing the open air. She leaned against him, sighing in content. “That adventure was… not what I expected. I honestly don’t think I could sleep in another cave again after that. Sleep is also debatable.”

“We will need a fire at the very least,” he said, scanning the area for a suitable spot to set up camp. “And if we are going to fully play through Sera’s ruse, we should set up a tent for modesty’s sake.”

“Ruse?” she asked, lifting on the balls of her feet to loop her arms over his head. “And here I was hoping we could spend some time ‘bumping bits to celebrate being alive and shite’. I could use a distraction, something help me fall asleep tonight, something that doesn’t involve glowing, living rocks.”

He chuckled, gently extracting himself from her arms, leading her farther away from the mouth of the cave. When she protested, he sat on one of the boulders and drew her down for a kiss, where she settled on his lap with a contented hum.

“I did not say that I was adverse to Sera’s plan,” he said, running hands along her sides and kissing her jawline. “I merely suggested setting up camp in case of rain.”

“Hmmm, not yet,” she countered, tugging at his vest and peeling it back. “I would have you in the open air, under the stars.” 

“You are aware that there are undoubtedly Carta agents watching our every movement,” he mused, although he was working at the toggles on her jacket, pulling off her sash and freeing the lock-picking tools from her belt. She grinned, moving her attention under his shirt.

“I’m Dalish,” she laughed, deftly untying the laces on his breeches. “When we’re not frolicking naked in the moonlight, we’re making love under the stars. And Sera was right—we’re alive. That’s certainly worth celebrating.”

“I agree,” he replied, standing in one fluid movement, supporting her weight as he walked down the rocky slope. “However, given the area’s weather, I suggest celebrating under some sort of shelter.”

She wriggled free and pushed him against one of the spindly pines that managed to take hold amongst the rocks. She ground against him, cutting off his complaints with a kiss, fingers tracing the outline of him through fabric.

“Celebrations first,” she cajoled, finishing her work on his laces and pulling him free. “Tent later.”

She teased him into emitting a guttural groan, and he rocked against her palm, limited from his position against the trunk of the tree. He growled, hooking fingers under her leggings and pulling them down. She tried to move with him, raising a leg to adjust her angle, but even with the slight incline of the hill, Remli still had to lift up to her toes to try to get into a more comfortable position. 

Solas’ hands found her rear and hoisted her up, maneuvering her so that she was suddenly against the tree. She clung to his shoulders as he moved, panting and clenching around him, hands flexing their grip on his vest with each thrust. 

The angle was messy, she was still mostly dressed, a light rain started to drizzle, the spies in the woods were getting an eyeful, and she’d wake up with splinters in her ass, but she didn’t care. The air was cold, and fresh, and open. No rocks, no caves, no lingering smell of dust and stale air and blight. No bloody undead dwarves with glowing blue orifices and crazy caves that turned out to be living rock monsters. Here, the only glowing going on was Solas, that delightful pale blue light of magic that he brought into the bedroom. 

She lifted a hand to pull him down into a kiss, fingers stroking his ears. Her other hand still gripped his vest, keeping him close as she tried to move with him. His rhythm faltered, his mouth wandering from her lips down her throat, settling on that spot at the junction between shoulder and neck. 

Leaning back to give him more access to bared skin, Remli opened her eyes to stare at the sky above. There were no stars, and rain dripped through the sparse cover of the tree and onto her face. Sniffles, as Varric would say, were imminent.

She nipped at one of his ears, felt him quicken his pace, and rode him through his release. She was close behind him, laughing as they both sagged against the tree, catching their breath.

“We’re alive,” she breathed, curling into his chest. She felt the rumble of his own laugh, and he brushed her forehead with a kiss.

“So it would seem,” he agreed. Once they caught their breaths, they pulled apart and straightened their clothes. Solas squinted up at the sky, judging the remaining light and oncoming weather. “But now I really must insist upon a tent. It appears that we have a long night ahead of us.”

She grinned, tilting her head.

“Is that a promise?” she asked. He smirked, taking her hand and pulling her from the tree, down towards a greener section of the slope.

“Well,” he replied, “As Sera said, we are celebrating. And I will need to ensure that you stay warm during the night so that you do not fall ill.”

“I have a few suggestions,” she said, pulling out the pieces of the tent from her pack as Solas arranged a stone circle and lit a fire.

“I shall bear that in mind.”


End file.
